The Rotary Club of Naperville recognized several people for their service in the community and around the world at the Paul Harris Fellowship Community Service Awards at Meson Sabika on Thursday, April 10.
The award is named after Rotary’s founder and recognizes those who embody the organization’s motto of “Service Above Self.”
Rotary Club of Naperville recognizes local and global service
11 recipients were honored for their good deeds, ranging from volunteer work locally to humanitarian efforts abroad.
Neuqua Valley High School teacher Laura Dabezic was recognized for cultivating youth leadership in the community as one of the sponsors of her school’s INTERACT club, a service-focused group.
The educator said her work is inspired by her father, who was a dedicated Rotarian for years.
“It fills me with so much pride, especially knowing how much it would have meant to my dad if he were alive to see me here today,” said Dabezic.
Another recipient was Tia Bunz, executive director of the Fond Blanc Foundation. The nonprofit has been providing resources to its namesake remote community in Haiti since 2012, two years after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince.
This includes building a school for children in a local orphanage and creating a garden for fresh produce, reducing the need to commute into dangerous areas for food.
After taking a mission trip to the country with her daughter, Bunz said she was compelled to help the children in need.
“It was just so heart-wrenching to see what they lived in. And those children were so happy still because they didn’t know any different. They didn’t. They don’t have a TV, they don’t have running water. They don’t have electricity. And so I think that just watching their gratefulness for everything that they had, we knew that we needed to provide something different for them,” said Bunz.
The Rotary Club of Naperville has worked with the Fond Blanc Organization in the past to help expand their impact in Haiti.
Additional Paul Harris Fellowship Community Service Award recipients
All recipients of the Paul Harris Fellowship Community Service Award were nominated by members of the Rotary Club.
Other Paul Harris honorees included:
- Bob Holubka, recognized for his volunteer work at Loaves and Fishes. Holubka has contributed nearly 5000 hours of service to the nonprofit.
- Pam Bartlett, owner and “Director of Fun” at Pinot’s Palette, honored for her generosity, donating painting sessions to youth and seniors, and her dedication to community engagement.
- Kelly Dougherty and Kristy Kennedy, recognized for creating Naperville Tornado Relief, facilitating yard clean-up for Naperville tornado victims in 2021.
- Matt Hanley, honored for his role in helping to pass a $420 million referendum in Indian Prairie School District 204. A father of two children in the district, he invested hours to ensure safety enhancements were implemented.
- Larry Hartman, honored for his service at Hesed House in Aurora. Hartman organizes volunteer efforts at Grace Methodist Church. On the second Tuesday of each month, he and a team of volunteers prepare breakfast and dinner for the Hesed House guests. He also collects essential supplies for those in need.
- Jenny Latham, owner of Celidan Creations, recognized for her customer-focused service. Latham has donated flowers to Rotary Salutes Veterans Program honorees and has provided them at funeral services for Rotary members.
- Mary Galvan, a professor at North Central College, honored for her work preparing students for the workforce with “real-world projects” in marketing research and marketing management courses.
- Josh Goralski, CEO of the non-profit Unlocking Communities, recognized for his organization’s international service assisting those in Haiti. According to the Rotary Club, “Unlocking Communities improves the lives of impoverished people by helping them create industries and teaching skills while also improving their health, hygiene, and sanitation.”
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